Sterling Home Inspections

I recently completed a home inspection in Sterling, VA. The home was built in 1950 and had all of the typical concerns relating to a home of that age. Believe it or not, it looked like the oven and cook top were original!

When I first arrived to this home inspection, I started with the exterior of the home. As I worked around to the side of the home, I noticed about a half dozen areas where the brick veneer had been patched. I mentioned that I would check further when we got inside but that the pattern of patched areas indicated that there was some differential settlement occurring, at least on this portion of the home. The cracks worked across the wall and were patterned in such a way that it looked as though the front right portion of the home was settling more quickly than the rest of the home.

Sterling, VA is certainly not known as an area with many foundation issues – as, say, the coastal areas of Virginia and MD are. That being said, this particular home in Sterling, VA appeared to have some foundation concerns.

As I worked my way through the interior, I could not identify any further evidence of settlement. The basement area was finished and there was no access to the exterior foundation walls. This particular home inspection in Sterling, VA was in a neighborhood that had evolved. Many of the older homes were being torn down and rebuilt completely, but this was the original home. The basement had been finished more recently, but it was impossible to tell exactly how recently that had happened.

I explained my concerns to my client and moved on to the rest of the home. Most of what I was discovering was relatively common – not enough smoke alarms, doors weren't latching, handrails were loose, etc. When I opened the coat closet, I realized there was another big concern. I discovered a three foot by one foot spot of black mold growing on the outside of the drywall!

This Sterling, VA home inspection had taken a turn.

This client had his eyes on this home as a rental property as Sterling, VA has an active rental base. This Sterling, VA home inspection was tailored around his needs as a potential land lord and what would need to happen to make this home rent-ready. Many of the items were small and several more were simply inconsequential, but we had identified two major concerns.

I always hesitate to estimate repair costs because I am not a contractor, I am a home inspector. I am very aware of average costs, but I prefer to let the chosen contractor put forward his own estimate. In this situation, I made certain to have a lengthy conversation with my client about the concerns relating to mold and foundation work.

Mold remediation and foundation repair are very hard, even for a qualified contractor, to estimate. I have had other home inspections in Sterling, VA that had mold concerns. I have had other home inspections in Sterling, VA that had foundation concerns. I have never had a home inspection in Sterling, VA that had both foundation and mold concerns where both conditions were hidden from view.

Even a qualified contractor, I explained, won't know the extent of the mold growth until he removes the drywall. It could be a five foot by five foot area of drywall and six two by fours that need to be replaced. On the other hand, it could be the entire wall cavity all the way down to the basement level. It could involve floor joists or other structural members. You can imagine, the cost of treatment can accelerate very quickly.

Similarly, the foundation of the home is hidden beneath four to six feet of dirt. The contractor will not be able to accurately and fully evaluate the problem until at least some of the dirt is removed. Again, these costs accelerate quickly.

This Sterling, VA home inspection ended with a client who decided to pursue other options in the area. The costs and risks associated with this particular home were not worth it. Without a thorough home inspection, this client could have been in a very bad position!